182 
THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
SEASONABLE WOEK IN THE OECHAED-HOIJSE. 
BY A KENTISH GAEDENEB. 
LL trees in the orchard-houses under my charge, owing 
to the healthy condition which they are in, have set their 
fruit remarkably well, and we have had to remove a very 
considerable number, and .there yet remain many 
which will eventually have to be removed. With the 
cherries I adopted the somewhat unusual plan of thinning the 
bloom when the trees were fully expanded ; and I find this to be 
much the better plan, as it does not exhaust the tree so much as 
when all the bloom is allowed to remain and set fruit before removal. 
I am so well satisfied that I intend to follow it up in future seasons 
in all cases where there is a superabundance of it. It requires a 
strong nerve and some amount of judgment, I admit ; but where 
success is desired, the earnest cultivator ought not to allow any 
such considerations to have any weight with him. 
Owing to the cold weather which prevailed during the last two 
months, we have had more than our usual share of insects, but we 
have managed to keep them under pretty well. In the first place, 
an attack of the brown- fly occurred just as the peaches and nec- 
tarines were in full bloom. This prevented me from applying the 
usual remedies as soon as I saw them ; but immediately the trees 
were out of bloom a good syringing with tobacco-water was given, 
which soon sent them about their business, and the trees are now 
beautifully clean. 
The trees were no sooner rid of these pests than a fresh assault 
was made by a destructive maggot, as it would curl itself up in the 
young leaves of apricots and cherries, and if not immediately dis- 
lodged would eat holes in them, causing a sad disfigurement to the 
leaf ; and if left undisturbed for a couple or three days, would ulti- 
mately esconce themselves in the very heart of the young growth, 
and destroy its further progress. So numerous were these pests 
that nothing but constant hand-picking every day would keep them 
under ; but by the close of the first week in May the houses were 
quite clear, and continue so up to the present time. 
As to red-spider, so troublesome in many orchard-houses, it is a 
stranger to me ; for the trees are syringed vigorously every evening, 
and in hot weather all the borders and paths are kept constantly 
moist by frequent dampings two or three times during the day. As 
a precaution, after I have done watering and syringing in very 
bright weather, I shut up the houses about six o’clock, and let them 
remain so for an hour : this causes such a steam to rise, that every 
branch and leaf that has escaped the water-pot or the engine is sure 
to be moistened, which is very objectionable to red spider. 
There is no doubt that a cold spring is favourable to the attacks 
of insects, as, I believe, many beside myself have been similarly 
troubled this season. Even in a cold season there has been a con- 
siderable amount of labour in watering, because the greater portion 
of our trees are in pots. No neglect of watering the trees must 
